Combined bucket and suction dredge.



No. 758,603. PATENTED MAY 3, 1%904. R. ANDREW.

COMBINED BUCKET AND SUCTION DREDGE.

APPLICATION FILED HAY 12, 1903.

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UN ITEI) STATES Patented May 3, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

COMBINED BUCKET AND SUCTION DREDGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 58,608, dated May 3,1904.

I Application filed May 12, 1903. Serial No. 156,813- (No model.)

To all whom/it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT ANDREW, mining engineer, a subject of theKing of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Victoria Buildings, No.80 Swanston street, Melbourne, in the British State of Victoria,Commonwealth of Australia, have invented a new and useful CombinedBucket and Suction Dredge for Recovering Gold, Tin, and other Mineralsfrom River-Beds and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined bucket and suction dredge forrecovering gold, tin,

and other minerals from river-beds and the like.

It comprises aladder supported, as usual, by a shaft and a derrick on apontoon, and said ladder carrying an endless bucket elevator supportedand worked in the ordinary manner, While at about the deck-line betweenthe cheeks of the ladder a centrifugal pump is supported. From thesuction branch of the pump there descends a pipe, which at the lower endof ladder takes the form of a breechespipe, the lower end of each branchthereof having a spherical-jointed spring-cushioned nozzle and whichnozzles when at work are designed to lie one at each end of the bucketsand just behind the lips of same. The suction-pump is intended for usemostly when the bucket is working at or near the bottom of the river.The delivery branch of pump is led to a rotary screen on the deck ofpontoon or to any other separating or gold, tin, or mineral savingappliance.

The attached drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 shows a sectional side view of it, and Fig. 2 a plan of theladder with the centrifugal pump and its pipe connections, while Fig. 3is central section, drawn to larger scale, of the lower nozzle end ofsuction- A is the ladder, supported at its upper end on a shaft A,carried in suitable bearings upon frames or horses A built up upon thepontoon or dredge vessel A while the lower end of ladder is carried byblock and chain or wire rope from a derrick or other frame A near theend of pontoon.

B represents the buckets, carried by endless bucket chain-links B,supported on the ladder and at its upper and lower ends by the tumblersB C is the centrifugal pump, supported at about the deck line betweenthe sides or cheeks of ladder, and C its suction-pipe leading to theloreeches-pipe C each branch of said pipe C being furnished with aspringcushioned nozzle C the lower part of which when at work isdesigned to lie one at each end of bucket just behind 'its lip orcutting edge. The pump delivery-pipe C* is shown connected to a branchpipe C furnished with an expansion or telescopic joint to provide forthe movement of ladder, the end of branch pipe delivering to thestationary hopper D of a revolving screen D, although the deliverypipemay lead to any other gold, tin, or'other mineral saving appliance.

Each nozzle C has a hemispherical flange 0 fitting on the sphericalcover or cap 0, which is bolted to a socket-piece 0 within which thetapered part of the nozzle is located.

E is a coiled spring, the lower end of which presses on the back flange0, while its upper end is seated in an annular recess'formed in thesocket-piece c and thus the nozzle can move slightly should it contactwith any obstruction in the river in order to clear it without being soliable to be broken. The mouth of nozzle has a cross-bar c in it toreduce the area of opening and to prevent the inflow of large stones andthe like which may injure the pump.

The pump is shown driven by a belt F from a lay-shaft F, which must bein a direct line with the shaft of upper tumbler in order that theradial center of pump will not vary when the position of ladder isaltered.

When the dredge is in operation,the buckets cut and elevate thematerial, as usual,while the pump through its suctionnozzle sucks orpumps in any material which has been disturbed and left free by thebuckets or any material which may be in a hole or crevice and whichcannot be reached. by the buckets.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a combined bucket and suction dredge the spring-cushioned nozzleformed with a hemispherical flange, combined with a spherical cap, asocket-piece and a spring substantially as described-and shown.

2. In a combined bucket and suction dredge a pump arranged between thecheeks of the ladder and having a suction-pipe which terminates in abreeches-pipe, the ends of which he one at each end of and inmmediatelybehind the lips of the bucket substantially as described and shown.

3. In a combined bucket and suction dredge the pump whereof lies betweenthe cheeks of ladder and has a breeches-pipe at lower end of itssuction-pipe, a lay-shaft for driving said pump and which shaft lies ina direct line with the upper tumbler-shaft as and for the purposedescribed and as shown.

4. A combined bucket and suction dredge comprising a pontoon, a ladder,an endless link chain and buckets, a pump arranged between the cheeks ofladder a suction-pipe terminating in a breeches-pipe, the ends of whichare furnished with spring-cushioned nozzles, and a delivery-pipeconnected by a telescopic branch with a sieve or other gold, tin orminerals saving appliance substantially as described and shown.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twoWitnesses.

ROBERT AN DREIV.

WVitnesses:

BEDLINGTON BoDYooMn, W. J. S. THoMrsoN.

